Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category

Comic Pet Peeves – The I’s have it

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

This installment of Comic Pet Peeves is  about the lettering of I’s.

You may have noticed that when all caps is used for comic lettering that there is a difference between the the I’s.

This is because there is a capital CAP I and a lower case CAP I.

The capital I is used when a normal mixed cased capital I would be used. Usually this I has a top and bottom bar while the lower case CAP I is usually just a straight line.cc_cpp_002

Most comic fonts have this feature built in. Although some don’t. I’m looking at you ComicSans which you should never use for comic lettering.

For some good comic fonts, some of which are free if you are an indie publisher, you can check out Blambot.

Critical Links – The Clerks are alright

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

I recently discovered The Variants. It is a web video series about a staff at a comic shop. It’s is kind of a mix of Clerks and The Guild. So far, it’s alright. There are a few funny lines and situations.

So Marvel is on the iPhone by partnering with several different app companies. Nice idea, but do I really want to read a full size comic on such a tiny screen? Where are you Apple tablet with Longbox?

Another print magazine “dies.” This time it’s the indie snob’s favorite ranter, The Comics Journal. It will cease regular publishing (it will come out twice a year) and its website will become it’s main publishing outlet. While I was an on and off reader of TCJ, I see this as a necessary evil. The money for printed entertainment is drying up. These days, publishers have to make hard choices to either switch to digital or cut back on print quantity and/or quality.

Not Comics: The new Weezer album is pretty good. It has hints of all their previous albums. While not on the level of Blue or Pinkerton, it has a bunch of fun and catchy songs. Though the Lil” Wayne rap and the Indian signing are…umm…different? Favorite song so far: Tripping Down the Freeway.

Critical Links – Can you spare a pass?

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Comic-Con 2010 4 days passes have sold out in record time. I bet the day hotels come avaiable you’ll see geeks all over the world screaming at their computer screens.

Work In Progress a blog that shows animations of various stages of comic art.
(In Spanish, but enjoyable even if you don’t speak the language.)

To all the people who told you comic rot your brain as a kid, show them this study.

And people say people don’t read comics. Well 1 in 10 readers ain’t bad.

Critical Links – The first taste is free

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

The Comics Journal releases their 300th print edition. At first, they put all of the issue online for free. Then they pull it without notice 24 hours later.

Robot 6 gives a new reader’s guide to  Osamu Tezuka, “the God of Manga”.

Vertigo show off some preview images of Peter Bagge’s upcoming release “Other Lives”.

At Webcomics.com, Brad Guigar has been giving critiques of Webcomics’ site designs.

Japanese manga publisher Shueisha (corporate parent with Shogakukan of North American manga publisher Viz Media)  will be releasing some of more popular manga on mobile phones.

Critical Links – Critics gone Wild

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

The AV Club makes a top 25 comics of the 2000’s and then other critics get upset over what is missing (namely manga).

Egypt’s bans the country’s first graphic novel.

A preview of DC’s animated adaption of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s JLA: Earth 2.

Twilight beats Dark Knight’s one day box office total and some comic fans don’t take it too well.